Screened photograph puzzle

ABSTRACT

A puzzle includes a plurality of similarly physically shaped puzzle pieces. Each piece reveals a portion of a black and white photograph which has been modified by a photographic screening and enlargement process. The resulting processed portion of the photograph on each piece reveals only black and white configurations of varying edges and densities. These edges and densities must be mated with those of other puzzle pieces in a correct relationship to reveal the entire processed photograph. In a method of making the puzzle, a screened photograph is taken of a conventional photograph so that screen lines appear on the screened photograph. The screened photograph is enlarged whereby the screen splits the photograph into spaced components aligned in the direction of the lines of the screen. The enlarged screened photograph is then cut, along the screen lines, or therebetween, into a selected number of pieces which form the puzzle pieces. Stiffner backing may be provided for the pieces.

[451 Dec. 17,1974

[ SCREENED PHOTOGRAPH PUZZLE shaped puzzle pieces. Each piece reveals aportion of a black and white photograph which has been modilnventor:Alton Parker Balder, 7902 Seven Mile Ln., Baltimore, Md. 21215 Nov. 2,1973 fied by a photographic screening and enlargement process. Theresulting processed portion of the photo- [22] Filed:

graph on each piece reveals only black and white configurations ofvarying edges and densities. These edges [21] Appl. No.: 412,182

and densities must be mated with those of other puzzle pieces in acorrect relationship to reveal the entire processed photograph.

[52] U.S. 273/157 R, 96/45 Int. Cl.

A63f 9/10 In a method of makin g the puzzle, a screened Field ofSearch......................... 273/l55, 157 R photograph is taken of aconventional photograph so that screen lines appear on the screenedphotograph. The screened photograph is enlarged whereby the ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS screen splits the photograph into spacedcomponents 273/157 R X aligned in the direction of the lines of thescreen. The 2 5 R X enlarged screened photograph is then cut, along thescreen lines, or therebetween, into a selected number 2,328,281Jones.......................... 3,596,380 Williams of pieces which formthe puzzle pieces. Stiffner backing may be provided for the pieces.

4 Claims, 7 DrawingFigures ABSTRACT A puzzle includes a plurality ofsimilarly physically 5 U N S7 2 mm TM m w. W D. P". A.m a R. Om So m W0T A6 fi NH @H E R1 m m 7 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Attorney,Agent, or FirmWalter G. Finch PATENTEL SEC l 7 I974 SHEH 2 0F 2 PIC-3.3

FIG-4 FIG. 5

Fla. 7

SCREENEI) PHOTOGRAPH PUZZLE This invention relates to a puzzle andparticularly pertains to a puzzle having similarily shaped pieces whichare assembled on the basis of the configurations displayed on thepieces.

In conventional puzzles, the puzzle pieces are usually configured ofvarying physical shapes which are designed to mate, and sometimesinterlock, with adjacent pieces. While the pattern of the image on eachpiece combines with that of other pieces to form the composite displayof the puzzle, it is the physical shapes of the pieces which provide theclues for the proper placement of the pieces to form the display.

Other types of puzzles require the assembly of wire pieces or blocks ina peg board scheme to form the resultant image.

In each of the foregoing puzzle arrangements, there is no test of onesskills at analyzing only the display on the puzzle piece to determineits relationship to other pieces independently of the shape of thepieces.

It is an object of this invention to provide a puzzle which willstimulate interest based on the challenge of assembling puzzle pieceshaving mating image portions rather than preshaped-piece edges whichinterlock.

Another object of this invention is to provide a puzzle having similarlyshaped pieces with each piece having a configuration formed thereon anddefined by contrasting shades to reveal edges and densities thereof, theproper combination of the configuration forming a distorted,discernible, composite image.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will becomemore readily apparent and understood from the following detailedspecification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view showing puzzle pieces embodying certainprinciples ofthe invention and combined to reveal a composite of a photographed imagemodified to reveal screen lines which define physical edges of thepuzzle pieces;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a cross section of one puzzle pieceassembled with a stiffner backing;

FIG. 3 is a side view showing one method of preparing a photographhaving screen lines formed thereon;'

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another method of preparing aphotograph having screen lines formed thereon;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the manner of enlarging thescreened photograph;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the manner of assembling theenlarged, screen-lined photograph with a stiffner backing; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the manner of cutting thescreen-lined photograph into puzzle pieces.

The method of making the puzzle pieces may be accomplished in any one ofseveral ways. In each way, however, the first step requires the takingof a picture of a selected subject. For example, the subject could be afrontal view of a human face. A photographic print of the human face ismade by use of any camera and conventional processing to obtain theprint. The print is then screened by a process such as, for example,line conversion. There are two photo-mechanical techniques for screeninga print by line conversion. A third technique involves hand-rendering ofthe photomechanical effect.

In the first photo-mechanical technique, the print is placed before alarge professional commerical graphic camera. A screen of a selectedpattern is placed between the print and the film, where the film iswithin the graphic camera. Preferably the screen is in direct contactwith the film in the graphic camera behind the lens thereof. Theoriginal print is then photographed through the screen in a through thecamera shot. The film is then developed and a negative is made. Theresultant effect is that the lines of the screen now appear merged withthe subject image of the original print.

In a second photo-mechanical technique, an unscreened, original negativeof the subject is combined with a transparency of any screen bysuperimposition of one on the other. A contact print is made withstandard photographic contact frame. The resulting contact print of thesubject, with the screen superimposed, will then have picked up theconfigurations created by the screen.

By using any of a variety of screens having many different screenpatterns, or combinations thereof, the continuous tone of thephotographed image is broken into patterns determined by the pattern ofthe screen. However, no matter what type of screen pattern is used, theimage of the original subject remains basically intact and clearlydiscernible.

After the screening of the print, by using any of the above techniques,the screened photograph is enlarged to any size by use of standardenlargement procedures. An examination of the enlarged photographreveals that the pattern of the screen has split the photograph intocomponent parts with each part including a line of the screen pattern.The total of the component parts are combined into the composite imageof the subject.

When the screening process has been completed, the lines of the screenmerge with corresponding density portions of the image. When thescreened photograph is enlarged, the lines are thereby enlarged and, inthose portions which merge with the portions of corresponding density ofthe image, there appears irregular patterns of bulges with irregularedges. The irregular patterns which occur along any given line do notappear to provide any clue regarding its relative position with theother lines to form the composite image. However, the combined,irregularly shaped lines form the clearly discernible image even thoughthe image is distorted due to the screening and enlargement thereof.

After the enlargement of the screened photograph, the photograph, inprint form, is transferred to a rigid backing. This can be accomplishedby any printing or reproduction process, or by lamination. The rigidbacking could be, for example, stiff chipboard, paperboard, wood,plastic or any material having stiffening properties.

The rigidly backed, enlarged, screened picture is then .cut into anumber of pieces of any length or width. The cuts should follow thelines of the screen or go between the lines, or they may follow theconfigurations of the screen patterns.

The individually cut pieces form the pieces of the puzzle which, in use,are mixed, tumbled and shuffled to completely disorganize the piecesfrom the oriented alignment necessary to form the composite image.

The object of the puzzle is to reassemble the pieces so that thepictorial image is complete. Each piece has its perfect matchingrelationship with certain other pieces with the puzzle. When each pieceis placed adjacent to its matching companions, the subject isreconstructed in a composite entity and the puzzle is successfullycompleted.

In assembling the puzzle pieces, the assembler, or player, can only relyon the edges of the patterns formed on each piece as well as thecontrasting densities of the printed configurations. These are the onlyclues which lead the assembler to position mating pieces injuxtaposition.

In some instances, the puzzle pieces are cut into longitudinal,rectangularly shaped pieces, or sticks, with longitudinal cut linesbeing either spaced between adjacent ones of the screen lines orcoincidentally with the screen lines. However, as noted above, thescreen lines can be formed in any one of a variety of patterns, in whichcase the cut lines would follow such patterns. An example of such otherpatterns would include concentric circles, diagonal lines, etc.

In an example of a contrasting color scheme for the puzzle, black andwhite photographic prints provide a sufficient contrast. Almost allblack and white photographs are halftoned by being made up of black andwhite components. These halftones are usually imperceptible to the nakedeye but become obvious when the picture is greatly enlarged.

When the image of the conventional size print is screened with, forexample, straight lines, the lines appear as a series of apparentlydisconnected, unrelated black and then white abstract shapes. Theseseparate patterned black and white shapes, when enlarged, appear asoblong and wobbly in form with the black silhouetting against the whitewhich appears to expand and contrast from end to end.

However, these abstract patterns clearly do not interlock physically,because their physical edges are straight and provide no hint ofinterlocking, but by mating configurations of the portion of the totalimage appearing on each puzzle piece.

As an example and referring now to the FIG. 1, there is revealed amodified composite photograph of a locomotive. The photograph 10 showsscreen lines 12 which have been superimposed on a photograph of thelocomotive. The resulting screen-lined photograph has been enlarged tocreate a pattern between each adjacent pair of screen lines 12. Eachpattern reveals irregular bulges with irregular edges in the areas wherethe screen lines are superimposed with the image and is displayed in atleast two contrasting colors such as, for example, black and white. Thuseach pattern between each pair of adjacent screen lines 12 show varyingrandom-appearing densities and edges which are combinable with the otherpatterns in a predetermined alignment to form the discernible compositeimage of the locomotive.

Referring to FIG. 3, a photographic print 14 is made in any conventionalmanner and is screened by use of a large professional commercial camera16 which contains a screen therein. The screen is placed between thelens of the camera and the film in the camera and a through-the-camerashot is taken of the print 14. The resulting negative will reveal theimage of the print 14 with the screen lines superimposed thereon.

Referring to FIG. 4, in another screening technique, a negative 18,which could have been used to produce the print 14, is placed back toback with a transparency 20 of a screen. This assembly is placed on astandard photographic contact frame 22 with photographic print paper 24placed thereover so that the negative 18 is sandwiched between thescreen transparancy 20 and the print paper. The resulting contact printwill reveal the screen lines superimposed over the image of the negative18.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the screened photograph made by any method,such as those referred to with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4, is thenenlarged by use of a standard enlarger 26 to transpose the enlargedscreened image onto a print 28.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 6, the enlarged screen print 28 is secured to astiffner backing 30 by use of an adhesive 32. Referring to FIG. 7, thebacked print 28 is then cut into a selected pattern such as in longrectangular sections or sticks 34 by use of a conventional cutter 36.The sticks 34 form puzzle pieces having the'distorted patterns thereonas discussed hereinabove.

It is noted that the print 28 may be cut anywhere, though they mustfollow the screen lines, or go between the screen lines. Of course, ifother screen configurations, other than lines, are used, the cuts shouldfollow the configurations of the selected screen pattern.

The individual puzzle pieces are mixed, tumbled and shuffled. Thereafterthe object of the puzzle, to reassemble the pieces to make the compositeimage whole again, is attempted by the puzzle user. As the puzzle userwill attempt to discover, each piece has its perfect matchingrelationship with certain ones of the other puzzle pieces. When eachpiece is placed next to its contrasting matching companions so as toreconstruct the subject into a whole composite image, the puzzle issuccessfully finished.

Thus, no matter what the pattern of cutting the image initially, thepuzzle player, or user, has only the edges and densities of the portionof the printed configuration on each piece to look for clues as to theircorrect relationship with their specific notes.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is: v

1. A puzzle, comprising a plurality of puzzle pieces the combination ofwhich forms an enlarged discernible composite photographic imageincluding screen lines, enlargement of the original photographic imageto produce the discernible composite photographic image on the piecescausing of plurality of shades of distorted and varying random-appearingdensities to exist on the pieces, the puzzle pieces being definedphysically along their edges by the screen lines, each puzzle piecehaving a substantially identical physical configuration as the otherpieces, each puzzle piece having a specific pattern thereon forming aportion of the discernible composite photographic image, the pat- 3,854,726 5 6 2. A puzzle as recited in claim 1 wherein the physical 4. Apuzzle as recited in claim 1 and further comprisconfiguration of eachpiece is rectangular. ing means for supporting and providing backing forthe 3. A puzzle as recited in claim 1 wherein said pluralpuzzle pieces.

ity of contrasting shades are black and white.

1. A puzzle, comprising a plurality of puzzle pieces the combination ofwhich forms an enlarged discernible composite photographic imageincluding screen lines, enlargement of the original photographic imageto produce the discernible composite photographic image on the piecescausing of plurality of shades of distorted and varying random-appearingdensities to exist on the pieces, the puzzle pieces being definedphysically along their edges by the screen lines, each puzzle piecehaving a substantially identical physical configuration as the otherpieces, each puzzle piece having a specific pattern thereon forming aportion of the discernible composite photographic image, the pattern oneach piece being defined by the plurality of shades, the shades havingvarying degrees of quality and being distorted to providerandom-appearing densities of the shades on the pieces, the patterns onthe pieces and the edges of the pieces defined by the screen lines beingcombinable in a predetermined alignment by matching the shades on thesurfaces of the pieces and along the edges thereof to allow properlocation of each piece within the puzzle to reveal the nature of theenlarged composite image.
 2. A puzzle as recited in claim 1 wherein thephysical configuration of each piece is rectangular.
 3. A puzzle asrecited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of contrasting shades areblack and white.
 4. A puzzle as recited in claim 1 and furthercomprising means for supporting and providing backing for the puzzlepieces.